


Al-Sahim’s Bride

by ohmypreciousgirl



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Based on 3x20 spoilers but not canon compliant, F/M, Fake Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 07:18:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3801607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmypreciousgirl/pseuds/ohmypreciousgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Felicity stepped into the jet, the only thing she knew was that she was leaving her life behind. She had no idea the consequences she’d face when she chose to follow Oliver to Nanda Parbat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Once again effie214 and dedication2em helped me a lot, but so did puzzledhat and Mimozka! Thanks, guys! Really.
> 
> Keep in mind this fic was written before 3x19 aired. It was based on spoilers from the first Olicity sex trailer and the Olicity wedding theory. I'm not sure how I feel about this fic, tbh. Effie sent me a few suggestion and I tried to fix the best I could, so I hope I managed to nail it or, at least, make it readable? Not sure if I did a great job though. I hope it's not confusing or terrible ahahahaha Anyway, hit me with your thoughts. The plan is to post the second part tomorrow, so you won't have to wait a lot.

It was after midnight when the jet departed Starling City and headed to Nanda Parbat. ~~~~

Honestly, Felicity had no idea of how they’d find the hidden League compound, but she wasn’t quite worried about it. More pressing matters kept her mind occupied.

Like, for example, Oliver’s miserable face as he looked at the lifeless body of his sister lay serenely on the small sofa in the cabin.

Who the hell had a sofa in a jet anyway? It wasn’t enough the double armchair at the front of the jet, the four others armchairs at the back of it and the three normal chairs that were scattered around the jet? They needed to add a sofa too?

Felicity squeezed her eyes shut. Was she really thinking about appropriate furniture for jets? She needed to sort out her priorities in her head; weigh the fact that their not-quite-good-but-still-manageable lives took a nosedive into miserable existence territory in the span of 72 hours.

Roy had turned himself to SCPD in Oliver’s place, striking a deal with the police that guaranteed Oliver, Felicity and Diggle’s immunity and he a jail cell. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, Thea died. ~~~~

Felicity knows she’ll probably have nightmares for months about the painful screams that tore from Oliver’s throat as he held Thea’s body against his chest, his face tucked between her shoulder and neck.

She can feel Oliver’s devastation in the very depths of her soul. She’s seen him lost before, broken; had heard him pleading with Tommy over the comms the night of the earthquake machine and can imagine his face when Slade killed his mother, but all that paled in comparison for this mourning. It’s why she’s travelling in a private jet that belongs to the man she hates with everything she is; why she’s going to bear witness as Oliver sells his soul – his life – to get Thea’s back.

She doesn’t want to see him lose everything he’s worked so hard to build, but she refuses to let him go through it alone.

 _“Stay, Felicity,”_ he had said when she told him she’d go with them. “ _You don’t have to follow me anymore. Our mission here is done and, thanks to Roy’s sacrifice, you’ve immunity and won’t end up in jail, so… live your life,”_ he had given her a sad smile before continuing. _“Put everything that happened behind you and have the best life you can possibly have, which is everything you deserve and what I’ve always wanted for you.”_

When he finished his speech, she hadn’t have time to say anything to him because his cellphone rang and he excused himself. His words struck a chord in her, reminding Felicity what her mother told her at the hospital about choosing between Oliver and Ray – choosing the life Oliver had just suggested versus taking chances and calculating risks but having him by her side when she does.

Her mother was wrong, though.

There was no choice to make.

She hadn’t waited to Oliver come back from his call. She told Dig she’d meet them later. He gave her a look, but nodded without making a comment. She knew he suspected exactly what she was going to do.

Life was too short and precious to waste it with a man she wouldn’t ever truly love simply for safety and normalcy. So, she went to Ray, kissed the life she could’ve had goodbye and followed her heart. She had never been gladder to have done it than the moment she appeared at the airport rolling her suitcase and Oliver’s face lit up upon seeing her.

 _“The life I deserve is the one I choose, and my choice is to come with you,”_ she had told him in greeting. For a moment, she thought he’d start a fight and try to change her mind, but he quietly accepted her decision.

Now, she was on the jet with Oliver, Diggle, Thea and Merlyn in the middle of the long flight. Merlyn had pulled one of the chairs close to where Thea lay and was silently watching her. Oliver was standing, his body too worked up to sit down. Diggle was sitting in a chair propped against the wall, silently watching everyone. Meanwhile, she was huddled in one of the armchairs at the corner of the plane.

She’d tried to rest, but like Oliver, felt too emotionally charged to do that. Her brain was overloaded. In one night, she had broken up with a guy that could give her something that once resembled a normal life, had left behind her dream job, her home and the city she grew to love. She left her whole life to follow Oliver. That was overwhelming enough to keep her sleepless for at least three more days.

“So, what are you going to do about her?” Merlyn’s voice snapped Felicity out of her reverie, drawing her attention to him, taken aback when he pointed directly at her.

“What about me?”

“What about Felicity?”

Oliver and Felicity had spoken at the same time, getting a raised brow from Merlyn.

“You do know that you can’t just bring anyone into Parbat, right?”

Merlyn smirked at Oliver’s confused look. His expression made Felicity’s stomach sink. Nothing good could come from that affirmation.

“Being the Heir of the Demon, you can bring your family like Thea, warriors you trust like Mr. Diggle,” he explained, “but civilians are not welcomed into the city, unless they’re spouses or they’ll be trained to become a member of the League, and that’s clearly something you don’t want to happen. We need to be prepared.”

“Something tells me you have a suggestion,” Diggle commented coolly.

“You need to be prepared to lay a public claim on Ms. Smoak before Ra’s snatches her from you the second your feet touch Nanda Parbat.”

“What do you mean by ‘lay a public claim’?” Felicity asked cautiously.

“Turn Ms. Smoak into Mrs. Queen,” he suggested with a smile. “They’ll respect the breeder of the next Ra’s Al Ghul.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him, trying to decipher what his endgame was in all of this, but nothing came to mind.

“Why would we believe you?” She inquired.

He only raised a brow. “I’m just trying to be helpful,” he shrugged. “I know how heartbroken Oliver would be if he lost you. I know you don’t believe me when I say I love Oliver like a son, but I do. I don’t wish him the pain of losing his beloved.”

Felicity pressed her lips in a thin line, her hands clenched in fists. She looked at Diggle, who sent her an uncertain look. Her eyes fell upon Oliver, who seemed to have a hard time at the moment. A tense silence settled between them before Oliver broke it.

“You’re going back to Starling City the minute we land,” he said decisively, turning to Felicity.

“Absolutely not,” she replied, rising from her seat. “I won’t leave you here.”

“Did you hear the part where Ra’s Al Ghul can take you away from me?” Oliver shouted.

“We don’t know if it’s true!” She argued, taking a few steps towards him.

“I’m not willing to risk your safety to see if Merlyn was right.”

“I’m not a random person who got lost and took a wrong turn.  I’m a civilian under the protection of Heir of the Demon,” she said, sending him a significant look. “I’m sure that counts for something, especially if you tell that to Ra’s Al Ghul.”

“You’re not as smart as you like to claim to be if you honestly believe a simple request will be enough,” Malcolm intervened. “You’ve no idea how the League works. If you think because you’ve fought Wilson and even me gives you a backbone to confront the League, think again,” he said with pursed lips. “Nothing prepares you for Nanda Parbat. It’s brutal and cruel. A woman like you won’t last a night there without constant vigilance.”

“Enough!” Oliver shouted, turning to face Felicity. “You’ve to go back to…”

“I am not leaving you!” She cut him off sharply. “I broke up with Ray to be here with you. I left the job I love and my home and the city I…”

“And I told you to stay there. You don’t get to put this on me,” he interjected angrily, pointing at her.

“And I’m not!” She said in her loud voice. “I’m trying to tell you that I chose to follow you, to be with you. I chose to come with you because I don’t want you to go through whatever you will at Nanda Parbat without me,” she paused, taking a short breath. She tilted her head, her eyes softening at Oliver’s conflicted expression. “I’m here because I love you and I chose you. I just need you to love and choose me back, Oliver. _Please.”_

Felicity watched Oliver’s resolution crumple right before her eyes. She had no idea what effect her words would have on Oliver, but she wasn’t expecting to see his eyes to well up with tears, lips trembling slightly. His expression slowly morphed into something akin to bewilderment and incredulity, as if her truths were something he found impossible to consider. It took her aback; with the rate people kept telling her how obvious her feelings for Oliver were, she wasn’t expecting him to react with surprise.

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, before muttering “I need you to be safe.”

“I told you once, Oliver. I don’t want to be safe,” she paused briefly, giving him a pointed look. “I want to be with you, unsafe.”

He took a deep breath, looking at her, considering what she just told him. A moment passed before he pressed his lips together and nodded gently.

“Alright,” he conceded with a shaky voice, raising his finger to point at her. “But I’m not willing to risk your safety.”

“Yeah,” she said, bobbing her head in agreement. “I can work with that. You being protective, I mean,” she paused briefly. “Just… don’t leave me behind,” she pleaded in a low voice.

He sighed, closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “If Merlyn’s telling the truth….”

“He’s right about the fact that we can’t go in there unprepared,” Diggle finally interjected, making Oliver look at him.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Felicity,” he said in a tone that didn’t leave room for discussion.

“But there has to be another way to keep her safe other than _marriage_ ,” Diggle said.

“I want to stay with you. Both of you,” Felicity stated. “And if that’s what’s necessary to keep me – all of us – safe, then I’ll do it.”

“And I’ll do what needs to be done to guarantee she’s protected,” Oliver said, taking a small breath before adding, “Wouldn’t you do the same if it was Lyla?”

Taken aback, Diggle sighed. He scratched his chin, conceding. “Yes, I would. No doubt there.”

Felicity swallowed thickly, the knot of emotions in her stomach tightening. Oliver once broke his vow and killed someone in a fit of rage for trying to hurt her. And yes, she knew it was rage that drove him in that moment, because none of his previous kills ended up with three arrows deep into their chests. By now, it shouldn’t be a surprise the lines Oliver crossed for her, but somehow it was.

His silence was unsettling. She’d choose him time and again, but looking at him now, she started to wonder and worry: would he do the same? Had he realized like she had that their lives and feelings were so entwined that it felt like nothing could come between them; that it was foolish to even try to be apart? At the end of the day, marriage or no marriage, did he want this? Did he want _her_?

There were so many questions floating around her brain that she wished she could silence every single one of them. The slightest amount of panic started to run through her as she fought against second-guessing her decision to stay with Oliver.

“If Malcolm is right, how are you two gonna do it?” Dig asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Felicity’s brows furrowed slightly. “A manufactured marriage certificate maybe? I can get you a registered ministry license and then I hack into Starling’s city record, copy the format of a marriage certificate and I recreate it,” she said casually. “I’ve got a few digital signatures saved on my laptop, so I can use them to make it look authentic. I’ll plant it in the registrar office’s database, and if Ra’s Al Ghul or any of his minions look for proof, they’ll find it.”

Both Oliver and Diggle looked dumbfounded when she finished.

“You can do that?” Oliver inquired, amazed.

Felicity rolled her eyes. “The fact you even ask that offends me.”

He raised his hand in surrender, a small but impressed smile touching his lips.

“That’s the practical side,” Dig pointed out. “You still have to sell it; convince Ra’s you’re the real deal and not the ploy it is.”

Felicity frowned, considering her friend’s question. Before she could come up with an answer, Oliver spoke up.

“Keep it close to reality, I guess? We love each other, we wanted to remain together. Nothing translates permanency like marriage,” he explained, eyes flickering to her direction.

Her treacherous heart skipped a beat at his words, a glimmer of hope settling in her chest.

She desperately wished they had time and privacy to discuss this further. Too long had their relationship been secrets and shadows and words left unsaid. They needed transparency, even within the lie, but the timing made it impossible. She didn’t want an audience to one of the most important decisions of her life, and though it was necessary, she still felt odd having this kind of discussion with the suffocating weight of Thea’s death looming over them. Still, she knew they needed to lay their cards on the table as they went all in. She needed confirmation that his “we love each other” came from the same pat of her soul that hers did. ~~~~

“You’ll need to buy rings. Just in case, I mean,” Dig added, causing Felicity to momentarily frown as he brought her back abruptly from the depths of her mind, and then found herself nodding as he said, “Merlyn said Oliver needed to lay a public claim on you. Nothing more public than wedding rings.”

“We’ll be prepared,” Oliver intervened. “We can’t fly directly into Nanda Parbat, so we should have time on the ground to find an engagement ring and a matching set of wedding bands. Hopefully, that’ll be proof enough for Ra’s.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” she uttered somewhat breathlessly and haltingly as the idea turned into a plan of action. Oliver looked at her, a gentle expression on his face like they were the only two people on the jet  -- and in the world.

“I’m not sure if it’s good, but it’s slightly better than most things Oliver planned,” Dig quipped.

Felicity pressed her lips to muffle a smile as Oliver sent Dig a mildly aggravated look. She still felt overwhelmed, but instead of adrenaline and worry thrumming through her, she felt relief even though they truly had no idea what awaited them in Nanda Parbat.

Then again, she trusted both men with her life, and Oliver with her heart, and felt more ready to face the unknown because she had Oliver and Dig by her side.

“Well, I’m gonna get some shut eye,” Dig announced, passing by Felicity and Oliver. “Keep an eye on things,” he remarked, his eyes pointing at Merlyn, who had remained in the same spot - and oddly silent – during the team’s talk.

“Go,” Oliver told him. “I’ve everything under control here.”

“I’m sure you do,” she heard Dig say under his breath before he once again settled comfortably in his seat and closing his eyes.

After a tired sigh left her mouth, Oliver offered a soft, sympathetic look her way.

“Do you want to take a nap?” Oliver asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he looked over her.

She offered him a tight-lipped smile, shaking her head. ”I tried, but…” She motioned to her head. “A lot of things going on in here right now.”

“Still,” he suggested, pointing at the double-wide seat adjacent to where they stood, one that gave them both a good vantage point and also privacy, “we can still rest for a minute.”

“Okay,” she said.

They crossed the jet in a few strides, choosing to sit close to each other despite the extra room in the chair. After they got comfortable, Felicity reached her hand to take his, entwining their fingers to rest on her thigh. His hold was firm around her hand, and his palm felt warm and rough against hers, a familiar touch that filled her with pleasure - but not in a dirty way. More like it-has-been-so-long-since-I-touched-you-freely way.

It felt really good.

Sensing his eyes on her, she looked up. They stayed quiet, just gazing at each other for a couple of moments until she broke the silence.

“We’re gonna get your sister back and we will find a way out of this deal,” she assured him.

His eyes softened, a sad smile forming on his lips. “I’m afraid this time we won’t find a way out.”

“Don’t say that,” she requested, squeezing his hand. “We _will_ find another way. We always do,” she paused, offering him a small smile. “You’re not alone and I believe in you, remember?”

He didn’t reply, his eyes settling over her in that way Felicity noted he reserved only for her. And then, he shook his head and whispered:

“I know you said you couldn’t sleep, but try to at least rest, okay?” He leaned his head to the side as he held up their entwined hands, pulling his arm around her shoulder without breaking contact. Immediately, she lowered her head, resting on his shoulder, her temple pressed against his chest. She sighed at the sensation of his stubble prickling her soft skin when he turned to drop a kiss on the side of her head.

Following his advice, she closed her eyes and tried to empty her head. She fixed her attention to the feeling of Oliver’s chest rising and falling as he breathed in and out. His warmth pressed against her made Felicity feel so safe and loved that, without realizing, she drifted off.


	2. Chapter 2

The last 12 hours of her life were the most uncomfortable of Felicity’s life, and that was saying something, given how she lived in a world of awkwardness thanks to her lack of brain-to-mouth filter. And yet the varied missteps she’s walked in her life couldn’t have possibly prepared her for her life at the moment.

The first thing was the jewelry store. Leaving Diggle with Malcolm and Thea in the car, Oliver brought her to a small store at the airport and made her choose an engagement ring - they would buy the wedding bands that matched whatever ring she picked.

The whole situation had her stomach in knots. Oliver, being the perfect observer he was when he wanted to be, kept pointing out her favorite ones. In the end, she settled for a ring made of white gold, with an emerald as the center stone and a set of diamonds on each side. It was so pretty, exactly the type of ring she imagined herself wearing. The wedding band set was simple: thin and made of white gold just like the engagement ring.

She slipped the rings onto her finger, only glancing at Oliver when she registered the new weight on her left hand. That subtle shift in her attention ended when they joined Diggle and Thea – not to mention one of Ra’s’ henchmen – at the car, and trepidation began to creep in when Felicity noticed the League member glancing between her hand and Oliver’s as though he was trying to figure out just what was true and what wasn’t.

If they couldn’t fool a lowly escort, how were they going to deal with Ra’s? 

She got her answer when the man himself met them at the gates, flanked by a small army posted at the perimeter. She was uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the group gathered there – the way some of the men were staring at her made her skin crawl. She relaxed into relief when Oliver wound his arm around her shoulders and held her to him, his message clear. She let out a deep breath when she saw and felt the shift in the company – and even in Ra’s himself.

It was short-lived, however, and the atmosphere returned to being tense.  Despite desperately wanting to bite out a scathing judgment as Ra’s circled her in an examination, she bit her tongue and refrained from informing him that she wasn’t a thing to be stared at or evaluated.

To her shock, he actually directed several questions to her. Like her womb was fertile to bear Oliver’s future children or if she had other skills aside being the prettiest thing he had ever seen from the Western world.

She tried for her sake and Oliver’s to remain stoic, neutral, as she answered Ra’s, but he caught on to the anger and disgust underlying her words to him. Instead of being insulted, however, he looked amused and said to Oliver, “You’re going to have your hands full with your chosen.”   ~~~~

When neither Oliver nor Felicity spoke, Ra’s continued, deeming it necessary to hold a wedding ceremony to affirm their vows. There would be rituals beforehand: officially naming Oliver as the heir and an initiation to install Felicity as a full member of the League, both requirements if they were to be married within League tradition. Thank goodness, Oliver seemed prepared to that particular demand and promptly accepted it.

Soon enough, Ra’s Al Ghul was dismissing her to talk business with Oliver. He set up one of his trustworthy ladies, an old woman called Nasira, to escort her around his castle and to instruct her on how a lady of Al Ghul court was supposed to behave. Obviously, Oliver didn’t let her go alone; he had Diggle following her around with Nasira while he was in a reunion with the Demon and Merlyn.

Felicity had no idea how many hours they walked around the castle, but it was well into the afternoon when they stopped in front of a heavy wooden door.

“This is your chamber,” Nasira said. “It’s directly connected to Al Sahim’s.” Turning to look at Diggle, she continued pointing at the right side. “Yours is two doors away. Have a good night,” she bowed her head and slowly walked away from them.

“I’m exhausted,” Felicity said, leaning against the door and looking up to John’s expectant face. “I’d love to talk about everything, but I’m too tired now. I need to rest.”

“Go,” Dig said with an understanding smile. “We’ll have time later to rehash everything that went down today. Just… Get some sleep.”

“Yes, Dig,” she assented, opening her door. “Good night.”

“Good night,” he replied before she shut it.

She locked the door and turned around, her mouth dropping open when she took full stock of her room for the first time. The bedroom they gave to her looked like it came out straight from the Arabian Nights. The explosion of bold colors was dimmed by the light of the candles that illuminated the place. They were everywhere, in all sizes and lengths, letting a faint smell of jasmine permeate the room.  A big rug with a beautiful pattern in gold, blue, white and red was in the middle of the room. On the left, there was a sitting area covered in multicolored cushions. On the other side, a canopy bed with purple curtains covered in cushions too. There was also a vanity with a beautifully ornate metal frame, and a big wardrobe.

With a heavy sigh, she walked toward the bed and collapsed on top of it. Every single muscle in her body hurt. She was grateful she changed her shoes and put on something more comfortable than her usual high heels. Her feet wouldn’t have survived walking for hours in the ones she wore when she boarded the jet. Bonus points to Oliver for suggesting a change of shoes.

She groaned out loud at the memory of Oliver. She knew they needed to talk about their situation and how it had changed upon their arrival. Merely wearing rings and saying theywere married was no longer an option; now there was going to be an _actual_ wedding ceremony with _actual_ vows.

While she had thought about marrying Oliver before – seriously contemplated it only this morning – that possibility had only become real and weighted when Nasira had gone over the expectations and duties of a woman in Nanda Parbat.

The list was terrifyingly long. Nothing she wasn’t unwilling to do, but it made her question if staying committed to the ruse was the best option for them, particularly as her doubts about her real relationship with Oliver sank into her. He’d agreed to keep her safe and do whatever was necessary to ensure that happened, but the more she thought about it, the more she questioned where their real relationship stood.

In that uncertainty, she found herself wondering if it was smart to sacrifice her whole existence to stay in a place for a wedding in name only. If Oliver was committed to make their relationship work, she’d welcome a _real_ marriage into their lives, even if on some level it was way too soon. But she didn’t know if he wanted that now, if he wanted to make the lie into the truth, and it left her a little shaken.

The sound of mental clanging coming from the adjacent door distracted Felicity from her thoughts. Crossing the distance in quick strides, Felicity opened the door and found Oliver sitting on the identical divan-look-alike she had in her chamber.

Propped against the doorjamb, she greeted him. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he replied, his arms resting on his thighs. The last time she’d seen him, he was tense and alert, but now exhaustion took over. His eyes were red-rimmed with dark circles beneath them, his hunched posture just accentuating his weariness.

“How did it go?” She asked, closing the door behind her. Oliver scooted over to give her a place to sit beside him as she made her way towards him, and when she sat, he turned his whole body to face her as a tired sigh left his mouth.

“Like expected,” he shrugged. “Tomorrow afternoon I’ll be initiated. After that, they’ll start the ritual to…” he trailed off, pressing his lips together.

“Bring Thea back,” she completed, her hand lending on his thigh to squeeze the hard muscle reassuringly. 

“Yes,” he agreed.

“She’ll be fine, Oliver,” she assured him. “You’ll see.”

He only offered her a close-lipped smile as response. ~~~~

“How did your afternoon go?”

She took a deep breath, her stomach churning at the prospect of talking to him about everything. She looked down where her hand was resting on Oliver’s thigh and she started tracing patterns against his leg with her forefinger, focusing on that rather than the urge to blurt out anything and everything.

“There are lots of rules and expectations,” she decided to say. “You’d think time stopped here and they’re still living in the Dark Ages,” she joked, trying to alleviate the situation.

“Felicity,” he said in a firm tone that didn’t give her a choice but look up. His hand covered hers, stilling her movements. “What do you want to do?”

“This isn’t about what I want to do, Oliver.”

He shook his head vehemently. “Yes, it is, Felicity. You were the one who left everything behind to follow me,” he tilted his head, his expression softening. “You say the word, and I’ll do whatever that needs to be done.”

“And what exactly you think that needs to be done, Oliver?” She asked in shaky voice.

“If you tell me you want to go back to Starling, I’ll send you home tomorrow, no questions asked.” He took a small breath. “If you want to stay, we’ll... fulfill Ra’s Al Ghul request and keep you safe.”

She huffed in disbelief. “You can’t even say the words out loud,” she muttered under her breath, feeling the sting of tears forming behind her eyes.

“What?” He frowned. “Felicity, you…”

“I don’t want to go back to Starling, but I’m not sure if I want to marry you just for my safety!” She shouted, exasperation racing through her veins.

“What?” He asked, staring at her in disbelief.

“Do you remember what I asked you in the jet?” She inquired, feeling suddenly exhausted.

She noticed his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. “You asked for me to choose and love you,” he said in a quiet voice.

“Yes,” she agreed. “And then you accepted that I was coming with you.”

“I know. I remember that too, so?” he asked.

“So,” she repeated sharply, “I need to know where our relationship stands now!”

He simply sat still, his jaw slack as he looked at her with an expression of disbelief and confusion. Silence stretched between them until Felicity broke it with a tired sigh.

“I just want to know if I choose to go forward with the wedding plan, you’ll finally accept to be with me,” she declared with trembling lips. “I want this to be real.”

“And you think that’s not what I want?” Oliver asked, incredulity coloring his voice as a pained look settled on his features.

“I don’t _know_ what you want. That’s why I’m asking you where we’ll stand now,” She retorted.

His eyes widened at her words. Running his hands through his hair, he took a sharp intake of air. “Felicity, I love you,” he said decisively. “I am in love with you,” he remarked. “I want a real relationship with you. I want to marry you, but not like this.”

He reached out for one of her hands, entwining their fingers together. “I wish it was under different circumstances,” he paused briefly, a pensive look flickering over his face. “Some time after we were together, a small wedding with just our closest friends and family. You in a beautiful white dress walking down the aisle towards me. I’d even dance at the reception,” he said with a wistful smile. The smile falls slowly from his face, his next expression as heavy as their current situation. “Not this,” he declared. “I didn’t want it like this.”

“You really thought about it,” she commented, voice trembling with emotion. Somehow she hadn’t believed him seeing a future with her was possible; even though he’d told her he loved her, it had always been said against the backdrop of the mission and the hood, never open and honest and hopeful like he was being now.

“Of course I thought about it,” he said. “I know I fought against it so hard that made you believe I didn’t want to be with you, but you’re wrong. I’ve always wanted to share my life with you. I just didn’t believe it was right for me to do it.”

She bit her lips, her chin trembling slightly at the maelstrom of emotions twirling inside her.

“What about now?” She asked in a weak voice, apprehensive of his answer.

He tilted his head, considering her question. “Now, I feel like everything I did, everything that happened, has led me right here. To this moment.”

“And what moment would it be?” She questioned in a weak voice.

“The moment I stop running from us,” he said, raising one of his shoulders. “The moment I choose to share my life with you,” he paused briefly before adding. “I just want to make you happy.”

“Being with you would make me the happiest woman in the world,” she replied, her lips quirking up a bit.

“That’s exactly what I want,” he said with a tentative smile, reaching to cup her face. “If you let me.”

“Of course, Oliver,” she said, putting her hand over the one that was holding her face.

A moment of silence stretched between them, their eyes locked in an intense stare. Slowly, Felicity noticed his face growing closer to her. He stopped when only an inch separated them. They were so close that she could feel his breath puffing against her lips. On instinct, she licked them, watching intently his reaction. In a matter of seconds, his lips were on hers.

He gently brushed his mouth against hers, taking her bottom lip between his teeth and tugging at it softly. Her response was immediate: she leaned into the pressure of his lips, gripping tightly the hand she was holding while the other curled into the fabric of his shirt. He parted her lips with the tip of his tongue, deepening the kiss slowly. Her stomach fluttered at the feel of Oliver’s stubble scraping the skin around her mouth as his lips moved over hers.

The rhythm he set drove her a bit crazy, his tongue exploring her mouth so thoroughly that she trembled slightly beneath his ministrations. He was barely touching her, the hand on her face remaining still while the other one tangled in her hair, holding her head still to kiss her exactly the way he wanted.

His mouth on hers muffled the moan that escaped her throat. It was almost embarrassing how enraptured Felicity felt with the sensation of Oliver’s lips on hers. They were simple sensations, just lips touching combined with chaste brushing of hands against her hair and face and yet her toes curled in pleasure. She never thought these kinds of kisses kisses actually existed; they sounded like something from a cheesy romantic novels. But no, there she was kissing the man she was deeply in love and toe-curling kisses were completely real.

Gradually, he slowed down the intensity of the kiss, peppering her lips with soft pecks. He took their locked hands away from her face, turning her palm into his while the one in her hair slid to grab the hand that was grasping his shirt. With one last touch of his mouth to hers, he pulled away enough to brush their nose together before letting his forehead drop gently against hers.

Felicity had no idea how long they sat there, breathing each other in and just enjoying their closeness. Felicity had yearned for this connection for so long. She could barely manage all the emotions spiraling through her thanks to Oliver’s proximity.

“So, what are we going to do next?” Oliver asked against her lips.

She tilted back her head to look at him, a few inches separating them now.

“You’ll become the Demon’s Heir tomorrow, I’ll marry you in two weeks and then we’ll find a way out of this place,” she said in a determined tone.

“Agreed,” he nodded curtly.

“For now though,” she continued, “I just want to be with you.”

Oliver’s mouth tugged upwards and it registered on Felicity it was the first genuine smile she’d seen on his face in a long time, and she marveled at the fact that the expression made him even more handsome when she hadn’t thought that was possible.  

Biting his bottom lip, Oliver pointed at her glasses, silently asking permission to take them off. She gave him an encouraging nod, and her eyelids fluttered shut as he leaned closer and slid the glasses gently down her face.

It took her by surprise when she felt his lips lend on her eyelids instead of her lips. Delicately, he cupped her shoulder blades while scattered kisses on her face. He kissed the tip of her nose, running his lips up the bridge and ending up in a forehead peck. He slid his lips down, peppering each cheek with kisses. He deposited a kiss on her chin, this one different from the others in the way he let his teeth scrape gently against her chin.

She moaned at the sensation, feeling his smile as it pressed on her skin. He slid his lips up her chin, nuzzling his way towards her mouth. He kissed the corners before his tongue gently parted her lips, and with a gasp, she lost herself in the feeling of Oliver touching her and wrapped her hands around his neck, deepening the kiss even further.

Suddenly, Oliver was pulling away and before she could protest, he was standing. She blinked confusedly at him until he grasped her wrists and pulled her up to him. His hands went to each side of her coat, pushing it away until it fell on the floor. Immediately, she slid her hand down his chest, unfastening the buttons of his shirt until it was completely open and she took it off. She didn’t waste the opportunity to gaze and run her hands along his abs, tracing the lines of his pectorals.

When she looked up, he was smiling at her. He leaned down, stealing a kiss while his hands curled on the hem of her shirt and tugged it over her head, tossing it to the floor.

In a swift move, Oliver moved down her body, one of his arms hooking under her leg to pull her up, his other hand spread wide on her back, the pads of his fingers tracing the hem of her bra.

He walked towards the bed, stopping when his knees hit the edge of the mattress, and sat down with her on his lap. Her legs were on each side of his waist, his hands wrapped tightly around her hips. He reclined on the cushions, settling her on top.

Felicity looked down at him, smiling coyly. Oliver just handed over the control, so she’d enjoy every single second of it. Softly, she stroked his chest, her eyes and hands tracing every inch of his skin she could reach. With her fingers, she outlined each scar and tattoo she saw.  As she made her way up his body again, her eyes landed on his face and the look she found there almost made her heart stop.

Oliver’s face was flushed, his eyes half-lidded with desire, his lips slightly parted as he panted. The picture he made coaxed her to pull away from his chest and unhook the clasp of her bra, sliding it down her arms and tossing it across the room. His eyes widened slightly, but Felicity wasn’t sure if it was a response to her boobs or because she grinded against his erection. Maybe a little of both. Inhaling deeply, she flattened her hands against his chest, slowly lying down on top of him.

She closed her eyes, capturing his lips with hers. That particular kiss seemed to break something within Oliver that turned him into the passionate man she’d always imagined him to be in bed.

He removed the rest of their clothes as he ran his hands up and down her body. He kissed every inch of her skin, paying close attention to the scar on her shoulder, his tongue laving the marred skin. There were bites and nips and firm squeezes of her flesh, and she tried to mentally catalogue the different ways Oliver touched her, but the sensations were so overwhelming that she almost couldn’t concentrate enough to hold her attention for long. Soon, she gave up and just embraced the moment; let herself just _feel_ the sensations he encouraged with his lips and hands. The intensity of everything stayed with her long after he left her completely drenched in sweat and the reverberating after-effects of her orgasm.

God, she had known they’d be good in bed, but not _that_ good. Nothing her imagination came up with was even close to the reality of the two of them together. It was official: Oliver ruined her for every man out there. Not just because she was desperately in love with him in an emotional way she had never experienced before, but physically and sexually too. ~~~~

In the aftermath, she had dropped against his chest, her hair spread over him and the pillow he was laying on. Incapable of not touching him, her fingers twitched over the skin of his chest, shoulders and collarbone. Absentmindedly, she started tracing the elaborated star tattoo over his heart.

“Oliver?”

“Hmmm?” he asked, seeming as breathless as she felt.

“I love you,” she said quietly.

She felt him move under her, the pressure of a kiss on the crown of her hair made her smile.

“I love you too,” he replied.

He slid up the hand that was resting on her waist and buried it into her hair, caressing her scalp in circling moves. Under the soothing touch, Felicity closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

Felicity woke up to the sunlight starting to shine through the curtains. She felt disoriented for a second when she woke up, but soon flashes of the previous night invaded her brain and it all made sense.

She stretched out, rolling to her side to sit up. She turned around to look at Oliver and she couldn’t help the big smile that graced her features. He was sprawled on the bed, in a deep sleep and completely naked.

A giddy laugh bubbled up through her throat, but she managed to fight it. The thought of Oliver catching her staring at him and giggling like a high school girl with a crush was embarrassing enough to stop her. Then again, she couldn’t stop enjoying the brief moment of happiness their lovemaking granted her.

Slipping from the bed, she grabbed Oliver’s discarded shirt off the floor, pulling it over her head as she walked toward the huge window. Quietly, she watched the sunrise in Nanda Parbat. It was a beautiful vision, even if isolated rocky places weren't her thing.

It didn’t take long for Felicity to sense Oliver moving behind her. When his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin nestled into her shoulder and he whispered, “What are you looking at?”

“It’s a new day.”

“Yes it is,” he agreed, pausing briefly. “It’s the start of a new life too. Are you ready for it?”

Felicity shook her head vehemently.

“I’m not,” she confessed, weighing the initiations and resurrections and expectations that came with remaining here with him. “But I’m not going anywhere.”

He kissed her shoulder and didn’t say anything back, letting her words settle between them.

If they only knew then that those words would seal their fate; that it was a promise never to be broken until either one of their dying days.

They had no idea that the life they were going to build together would be the closest of happily ever after both would ever achieve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end! I don't know if you guys liked it, but I know at least a few people did! So, thank you for your support and hopefully you'll enjoy more my next work than this one :)
> 
> If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos or a review. That's the only way I'll know you liked it :D
> 
> Kisses and see you soon ;D

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you'll share your thoughts! They help a lot. Comments are really important for me! They feed my writer's soul. They're my life blood. Really. Not just for feedback, but actually knowing if people are interested in reading this. How can I know if we don't talk to each other?! Also, kudos are always appreciated too :)
> 
> Say hello to me @ tumblr: [ohmypreciousgirl](http://ohmypreciousgirl.tumblr.com/).


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